Western Society's Skepticism of Reincarnation

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Recommended: Discuss the doctrine of reincarnation

Western Society's Skepticism of Reincarnation

"As men think so they are, both here and hereafter, thoughts being things, the parent of all actions, good and bad alike, and as the sowing has been, so will the harvest be."

It had finally come down to the last of the 500 pieces for the picturesque puzzle. What A major feat for grandma and me! We had worked on it for days straight and kept it hidden under the table cloth on top of the dining room table. Grandma came over and gave me a big hug and kiss. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was 3:30: time to feed the birds and then to start making dinner. “Let’s go feed the birds, Stephy”, she said. And we went into her little apartment kitchen, took out the package of old rye bread and headed out to her balcony overlooking Avenue Q in Brooklyn. “Ya know Stephy, the baby pigeon came by this morning with her mommy. I think she was looking for you.” I gleamed at grandma and started to blush. Grandma passed me a piece of bread to sprinkle on the floor. The ravenous birds started to arrive, one by one. Grandma sat down in her lawn chair. “When I go Stephy, I wouldn’t mind coming back as the baby pigeon. I hope you wouldn’t forget to come out and feed me.”

So, what really happens after the last breathe is drawn? Does one go to heaven? Turn to fertilizer? Start the life process over again? There are many different beliefs, but no one knows for sure until it is their turn.

Death is one of the most dreaded topics of conversation in Western civilizations. Death has many negative connotations attached. As for Tibetans following the Buddhist religion, they look death right in the face and accept it. The Tibetans do not avoid talking about the inevitable fate which every human being will meet. Rather, they prepare themselves and know that with every passing day they get closer to the end. The Tibetans live by the concept of impermanence. Impermanence states that everyone has a transient existence and that everyone will eventually die. One would think that the Tibetans are a wasteful culture, since they live their lives knowing that they will eventually die, yet it is in fact the opposite. So what motivates them?

Reincarnation is the idea that the soul is reborn into a new form.

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